simmer down
by hyperphonic
Summary: And that was how Mikasa's twentieth summer started: one suspiciously tall iced drink, a chance encounter with a distractingly hot brunet, and incessant teasing from her best friend since 3rd grade. modern!au/multiship/no one is dead
1. Let's get out

**because**: every fandom needs a sunburn and glitter filled epic of a summer fic

**notes**: this will be multiship, pseudo-beta'd and a fun little departure from my angsty vignettes (but let's be real, we all know it'll end in smut). hella.

* * *

"You _like_ him," Sasha purred from behind the counter of the coffee shop, one auburn brow arched high into her bangs as she watched her friend stare. "You totally do." The dark girl on the other side of the counter ignored her, grey eyes still fixed resolutely on the green-eyed boy pushing out of the air-conditioned café. Summer was starting in earnest, heralded in by iced drinks ordered en masse and heat waves on the pavement outside (though that didn't seem to stop the patrons from choosing outdoor seating over the air conditioned tables within). Sighing gustily, Mikasa turned her gaze from the brunet unlocking his car and pegged her friend with a droll stare, "I'll have a twenty ounce iced drip, please."

Warm eyes rolled dramatically, "oh sure, Cleopatra."

"Sasha…."

The cashier ignored her weak protest in favor of punching the registers' worn buttons airily. "That'll be two dollars and fifty cents, miss Queen of Denial."

And that was how Mikasa's twentieth summer started: one suspiciously tall iced drink, a chance encounter with a distractingly hot brunet, and incessant teasing from her best friend since 3rd grade.

"I don't even know his name," the dark girl pointed out as she waited for her coffee to chill, nimble hands tying up her dark locks. "I mean, I've only seen him like, three times!" She sagged against the cool, faux marble counter, oblivious to her friend's Cheshire grin. The heat was oppressive already, setting the fine hairs at the base of her skull sticking to her neck. If this was May, August was going to be- "Eren." The cheerful barista stated, hips swaying as she sashayed towards the register, "his name is Eren."

Blinking the confusion from her eyes, Mikasa was about to pester the brunette into telling her how the hell she even knew that when a rush of sticky-hot air blew through the shop. "Yo," the newest patron greeted, one hand raised in a lazy salute. "Can I have the usual Sasha?"

The girl behind the register gave a bright smile and a wink, "sure thing, Mr. Kirschtein!" Her step was even bouncier then usual, high ponytail bobbing as Sasha bopped along to the song filtering through on the radio. His grin was suspiciously bright, tawny eyes warm as they followed the girls almost-dance about the espresso machine. In the amount of time it took Sasha to make his drink (sixteen ounce Americano with room) Mikasa had noticed three things:

1. "Mr. Kirschtein" had been in the same AP Statistics class as her last semester.

2. His undercut was dumb as hell.

3. She was not going to let him anywhere near her Sasha (especially not with his dumb haircut and even dumber cologne).

"You're wearing _Fierce_." The dark woman pointed out, voice decidedly deadpan when her friend's 'patron' approached her end of the pickup counter. His stupid t-shirt nicely accented his collarbones, and the blue made his eyes stand out against tanned skin. Mikasa glared venomously- of course Sasha would fall for him. Tawny brows shot up before drawing down, and the man looked about five seconds from snarking right back at her when Sasha cut him off breezily. "Your drink is done, Jean!" The pair shared a brief smile as their fingers brushed, coffee passing hands with an easy familiarity. "Have a nice day Sash," his biceps were particularly prominent as he pulled his wallet out to leave a tip.

"You too Jean!"

The broad-shouldered man exited the café with a lazy stride, silence falling for only a moment before Mikasa grinned and leaned in towards her friend.

"You _like_ him!"

In the end, Sasha threw her out, insisting that they'd "discuss this over tacos" when she got off from work. Which was probably good, Mikasa reasoned as she idly rolled down the windows of her car, chin bobbing along to the beat of the radio. There was sure to be some level of foul play involved (Sasha was, after all, a little notorious for her underhanded techniques when it came to getting her more taciturn friends to interact with boys) and that kind of warfare didn't belong in anyone's workplace. It was summer anyways, and now that she was free from school, she had things to do (like the green eyed boy from ochem, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Annie's drawled). But soon all thoughts of green-eyed boys and baristas with crushes were blown from her mind, caught in the breeze from her cranked windows as she sped off down the road.

By the time Mikasa had gotten back to their modest little apartment, her phone already displayed five new messages from the barista:

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

thaT BOY JUST CAME BACK.

HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE LEFT HIS CARD

HE PAID IN CASH

CLEARLY HE WAS LOOKING FOR YOU

CLEARLY

* * *

Rolling her eyes, Mikasa kicked off her sandals and began to meander towards the couch, fully intent on cleaning out her school bag and burning all the (now irrelevant) Statistics work filed away inside. But just as her back met the cushions the phone began to vibrate again, buzzing incessantly against her hipbone as she let out a frustrated snarl.

If Sasha was sending her whales again…

Instead of the dreaded onslaught of emojis, Mikasa found another string of messages (maybe refusing to buy any groceries as retaliation had actually _worked_).

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

HE'S IN THE MED PROGRAM

HE SAYS HE TOOK OCHEM WITH YOU

IS THIS TRUE

WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS

* * *

So maybe she'd been lying just a little when she said she'd only seen him at the coffee shop. But one school year of stolen glances across the lecture hall hardly counted as 'knowing' right?

Right.

Either way, Mikasa sighed as she melted into her couch, the cat was out of the bag.

* * *

**To**: Sasha

**From**: Ackerpanties

Because I didn't think it was important, Sasha

We didn't speak once for an entire school year, so it's not like I actually knew him.

* * *

**To**: Ackerpanties

**From**: Sasha

Ohhhh noooo that defINITELY COUNTS.

DID HE LOOK AT YOU A LOT.

OH MYFUCK.

HE DID DIDN'T HE.

* * *

**To**: Sasha

**From**: Ackerpanties

That's not important.

Aren't you at work?

* * *

Sure she'd effectively sidetracked the brunette, Mikasa tossed her phone to the other end of the couch and arched her back in a lazy stretch. Sasha still had about an hour left of work, which was just enough for the dark girl to shower and maybe still ritualistically burn her homework. The neighbors were already convinced that the two girls were crazy anyways (Sasha had a tendency to compose brief operas whenever they ordered out), what harm would a little sacrificial burning do? Certainly not as much as an aria focused solely on pico de gallo and how it '_made her stomach sing with joy_'.

Collapsing back into the soft brown velour the weary girl lay for a second, sharp eyes studying the ceiling as she thought. If Sasha wasn't being a dick, and Eren (his name stood clear in her mind, called every morning by the Professor during attendance) had indeed come looking for her at the shop, then…

No, Sasha had to just be spinning everything into another coffee scented fantasy. There was no way the boy she'd maybe-liked all semester was digging her now.

With a shake of her dark hair and a sharp inhale, Mikasa sat up and began to empty out her bag. She didn't need a boy hanging around anyways. Even if his hair _did_ look impossibly soft, and the bright green of his eyes made her stomach drop dizzily every time they caught one another staring.

Pulling the final draft of her final Pathos essay out with a venomous glare, the young Ackerman set it aside before moving onto the next slightly crumpled sheaf of paper. Additionally, the last time she'd dated it had ended in a nearly burnt down house and at least six months where she refused to so much as glance sideways at carne asada (which was problematic, because neither she nor Sasha could cook. Mexican take out was a bit of a staple in their cramped apartment). So really it was in everybody's best interest if the sun kissed brunet really had just misplaced his debit card.

Really.

By the time Sasha had sauntered through the door, bag of tacos in hand and some poppy Gaga number on her lips, Mikasa almost believed herself.

* * *

When their plates were clear save for cilantro garnishes and spent lime wedges, Sasha folded her arms and nailed Mikasa with a bright stare. "So," the dark girl could feel dread pooling in her gut, nothing good ever came of serious stares from her bubbly companion. "Tell me everything."

"Well he sat three desks to my left in ochem," Mikasa shrugged unwilling to really divulge how much she'd really liked him, "every once and a while I'd catch him staring, or vice versa." The brunette's eyes widened, "and you two never talked?" Mikasa could have mentioned the time a mysterious cup of too sweet coffee appeared on her desk before finals, or how he had come into class one frosty December morning wearing an oxblood scarf that sent her hands shaking, or even how his hand would sometimes brush against her wrist when the class jostled for equipment. But instead she just shook her head, "well no," her phone lit up with an instagram notification- something from a user she didn't know called jagerbomber.

"I mean, how was I supposed to start a conversation?" Sasha got up to clear the plates as her roommate began to talk in a mock falsetto, "_oh hi there I see you too have signed up for this stupid-hard class, I really think your eyes are the brightest I've ever-_" Swearing at the sudden vibration of her iPhone, Mikasa broke off from her tirade to glance at said phone, lock screen blowing up with notifications. "Who the hell is jagerbomber and why the fuck did they just like almost my entire instagram gallery?"

"Oh!" Came Sasha's chirp from behind the fridge door, ass sticking out, "that's Eren!"

Incredulous, Mikasa looked down at the flooded activity screen, "you gave him my _instagram_?"

"Yep!" The brunet emerged with a glass of milk and several cookies, "And your facebook, twitter even though you never use it and I thought about giving him your number but really I figured-" Uninterested in hearing her unquestionably flawed logic, Mikasa cut her off with a strangled cry, "_Sasha_!"

Her roommate looked perplexed, brows knit together as Mikasa stood. "I'm just helping things along." _Couldn't she tell?_

"But I don't even _know_ him!"

"It's okay!" She swallowed and gave a bright grin, "Jean's known him almost as long as we've known each other! He's totally cool!" Mikasa felt her eyes roll of their own accord, that _would_ be Sasha's logic. "So I'm supposed to trust the judgment of your Fierce wearing, Americano ordering, pseudo-model boy toy?!"

Sasha pointed an accusatory cookie at the petulant woman across from her. "One, Jean is not my boy toy, he is a respected customer who gave me his number today and is buying me tacos tomorrow. And two, fierce smells _really_ good so just unknot your thong and dress cute tomorrow!"

Grey eyes narrowed and Mikasa took a borderline threatening step forwards, "_dress cute tomorrow?_"

"Yeah," Sasha hummed as she absently bumped the fridge closed with her hip, "Jean and I are getting tacos tomorrow before my shift. You're coming too."

"Why the hell am I coming too?" Lean arms crossed beneath her bust, "it's your fucking date."

"Ahhh," Sasha purred, licking a smear of melted chocolate chip from her finger, "but you see," the dread was back in the pit of Mikasa's stomach, "Eren is _his_ stupid-hot friend."

Well fuck.


	2. If you don't swim

**because**: the taco aria is an actual thing that exists. it also appears to get you heavy discounts and free guacamole when used effectively(;

**notes**: special love to bootybertholdt for reading this over- no one wants to be told to "clam" their tits, after all.

* * *

The next day dawned (much to Sasha's horror) abysmally rainy. The spring up until now had been dry, all sunshine and mild breezes, and though her brunette housemate spent the entire morning moaning about it, Mikasa was glad for the refreshing change in weather (if for no other reason than it putting the dust down).

"I can't believe this!" Came a strangled cry from the bedroom to her right. "How are you supposed to wear a sundress if it isn't sunny?" Dark eyes rolled, and Mikasa continued her set of pushups, happy to listen to the beat of her heart and the drum of the rain. "Mikasa what do I dooooooo?" With a final dip, and a shake of her sweaty hair, the dark girl rose to her feet to regard the half dressed female in her doorway. "Put a cardigan on," she shrugged, already reaching for a change of clothes and envisioning herself in the nice, warm shower.

"But it's summer!" Sasha wailed, flopping dramatically onto the bed. "Wearing a cardigan in summer is _sacrilege_!" Entirely too sweaty to really give a fuck about the fashion crisis at hand, Mikasa rolled one shoulder and pegged the other girl with a stare. "I'm going to shower," the beginnings of a devious grin spread across her friend's face, "and you are going to stay out of my closet."

Almost as fast as it had come, the grin fell off Sasha's bright face. "Damn."

Fifteen steam filled minutes later, the young Ackerman exited their communal bathroom fresh faced, not sweaty and toweling her dark hair vigorously. "You should put pants on!" The closet raider smiled, sweeping past with her makeup bag in hand (and Mikasa's favorite sweater on under her windbreaker). "We're leaving in ten!" Mikasa resigned herself to a sweaterless day with a sigh, damp hair still clinging to her cheeks as she shuffled past her door.

By the time both girls were dressed and sufficiently made up twenty minutes had past, causing Sasha to unleash a volley of panicked texts as they rode the elevator down to the parking garage. "This is why we need another mirror in the house." Mikasa calmly unlocked her car, sliding into the drivers seat as Sasha threw herself in beside her. "I don't even know if I remembered to put mascara on my left eye!"

The ignition purred to life, and Mikasa began to back out of the parking spot as Sasha squealed, "Mikasa! _Do I have mascara on my left eye?!_"

"Check for yourself, Braus." The click click click of her signal clashed against the beat of the radio as Mikasa turned onto the street, rain curtaining across the car as they picked up speed. "Oh, oh I do, thank the taco gods." Glad that crisis was averted, the dark girl lifted one hand from the steering wheel to turn the volume up, crescendo along with the build of the song. Lady Gaga filling the car, the two girls sped through the rain towards taco nirvana (as Sasha would say).

* * *

"Okay." Sasha began, critically admiring herself in the reflection of Mikasa's black hybrid. The rain had petered off as they drove, though the sky remained resolutely overcast, threatening to spill again as the brunette turned to look at her ass. "Everything is in line, right? I don't have panty line, right? My makeup isn't smearing, right?"

Bending to apply some lipgloss in the rearview mirror, Mikasa shrugged noncommittally. "You look fine." The brunette stomped one converse clad foot. "You didn't even look!"

"She didn't need to." A familiar voice drawled, accompanied by two pairs of footsteps. Rubbing her lips together to even out the gloss on her lips, Mikasa rose to (skeptically) regard the almost-blond approaching her friend.

The Kirschtein boy was sauntering towards them across the damp asphalt, jeans just barely beginning to go dark around the hem. "You look great." Naturally, Mikasa glared. Who the hell gave him permission to saunter in here and start smooth talking? At the tawny man's shoulder stood another male, all bright eyes and shaggy brown hair.

"Eren, this is Sasha," Her friend flounced forwards to lightly shake his hand, warm eyes darting to Mikasa's for a brief second (she was going to _punch her_). "And this is..." One calloused palm gestured to her, dropping slightly as Jean waited for her to introduce herself. "Mikasa," viridian eyes snapped to her, and the dark girl felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

"Hi," Eren greeted, almost-baritone a little raspy. The car stood between their locked stares, but Mikasa knew that if she were to shake his hand, it would be warm and dry.

"Well," Sasha began, devious grin practically splitting her face, "I understand that you're both attractive individuals, but it's starting to rain again, and I can _smell_ the carne asada."

Gaze reluctantly dropping back to her hands, Mikasa tucked the lipgloss back into her purse and stepped up onto the curb. Jean and Sasha were already halfway to the door, the familiar tune of Sasha's favorite carne asada aria drifting back to her on the air (and clashing tremendously against the roaring in her ears). Eren followed suit, long legs matching her pace as they fled the drizzle of rain.

"You were in my ochem class, right?" He grinned as he held the door, heedless of her grab to open it. "Yeah," Mikasa smiled, pushing still damp hair from her face as she stepped into the spiced air. "I sat a few desks over from you."

"I know," he murmured, almost (but not quite) lost under the canned Mariachi music.

"Two special tacos, carne asada, a la carte?" The cashier recited with a grin as Sasha approached the counter, wallet already out. "Yes, thank you!" She sang as Jean studied the menu above the counter before ordering. "I'll have the soup please," one hand tugged Sasha's down, "and the bill, too."

So maybe he wasn't _entirely_ horrible, Mikasa reasoned.

The couple peeled off to the salsa bar, already joking about something that sounded suspiciously like a (rather sexual) parody of Pacific Rim ("and instead of Jaeger suits, they could wear _mankinis!"_). Shaking her head fondly, Mikasa gave the cashier a wave before ordering. "I'll have the chicken special tacos please," she smiled, leaning on the counter to better dig through her purse. "Rice and beans?" "Ah no, thank you though," The dark girl returned when she'd found her wallet. "A la carte is fine." If she paid for her own food then it wasn't a date right?

Right.

Behind her Eren was typing rapidly, brows knit together as he hunched over his phone.

* * *

**To**: Dumbass

**From**: Horseface

You'd better grow a pair and say something other than 'did you sit by me in ochem' asshole.

Because I am not going to listen to you whine about this girl all summer.

I'M NOT.

NOT.

* * *

**To**: Horseface

**From**: Dumbass

Shut the fuck up Jean.

I'm not just going to open up with some sappy ass shit about her eyes like some dickheads I know.

Calm your tits.

* * *

Glancing up at the girl ahead of him, Eren felt a warm smile pull at his lips. So sure this was less of a date and more of an 'I-got-dragged-here-by-Jean-because-he-has-the-hots-for-a-crazy-girl,' but the simple fact of the matter was that he _had_ spent most of the year waxing poetic about the girl three desks to his left in ochem. And apart form the one finals morning where he'd been bold enough to set a cup of coffee on her desk (ochem was an inordinately hard class- and he knew she'd be up cramming all night. The least he could do was make sure she had a little coffee that morning) he'd never had the balls to strike up any kind of communication.

It wasn't his fault though, not really. Any guy would find himself as timid as a grade-schooler when faced with a girl like her. Pale skin, sharp eyes, legs as long as a fucking skyscraper. Maybe if she showed even the slightest bit of interest today he'd ask her on an actual date (or a close approximation, at least).

And he _meant_ it this time, not like when he said he'd write his number on the sleeve of her coffee and pussied out at the last minute.

After ordering and sufficiently raiding the salsa bar the brunet slid into their booth, unsurprised to find that Jean and his lady friend had already jury rigged it so that he was sitting across from Mikasa.

"Okay so." Sasha chirped, eating pico de gallo with a fork as she waited for her meal, "a virgin man decides to rent a hooker-"

"Sasha, no." Eren blinked up at the girl across from him, curious.

"But Mikasa, that's my best joke!"

"It literally ends in the punch line, 'if I had a pussy I'd run this town' you're not telling it over lunch."

Sighing dramatically, the brunette began to complain, throwing out the beginnings of other jokes just to have Mikasa shoot them down, thin lips quirking into a playful smirk.

"So two whales are sitting at a bar…"

"That one is just dumb."

She was _really_ pretty; even in the washed out, fluorescent lighting of the restaurant. Eren wondered if she liked bad horror flicks- the weather was so shitty that he could totally justify asking if she wanted to watch troll hunter with him…

"A vampire is jacking off in front of a mirror-"

"You stole that from Connie- doesn't count."

Mikasa was entirely too hungry to be playing bad joke police, and Sasha showed no signs of ceasing in her onslaught. Rolling her eyes as the brunette prepared her next attack, the dark girl crossed her legs under the table, jumping slightly when her shin collided with Eren's knee. _Sorry_ she mouthed, giving an apologetic smile as he shook his head. _It's no big deal_ he replied with a boyish grin, one hand waving it off just as Sasha opened her mouth.

"What did the ghost say to the beehive?"

Mikasa was still smiling at him, lips halfway to forming what was sure to be a snarky remark when-

"BOO BEES"

The food arrived.

* * *

"Well," Sasha sighed, melting back into the booth as she contentedly rubbed her stomach. "I have twenty minutes till my shift." Mikasa gave a nod, and began to gather her things, "alright, we can make it there in fifteen if we take Minnesota down to-" "I can take you," Jean cut in, car keys already in hand as he and Eren slid out of the booth. "It's on my way to work." He gave a rouge grin, "plus that way I can get my fix too."

Sasha gave a bright peal of laughter and grabbed him by the hand, already marching towards the door (Mikasa glowered, unsure if he was referring to her friend or caffeine, but either way positive the tawny man was entirely too cocky).

"Am I still picking you up then?" Silly baristas with silly crushes on no good, cocky boys- "Please!" And then they were gone, racing through the rain towards Jean's coupe.

For a moment, the two remaining pseudo-adults stood awkwardly, caught between their booth and the doors. "Ah-" Eren began, unsure of how to press past the social stalemate they were caught in. "I heard that really shitty Irish horror flick was playing at the theatre pub, if you don't have any plans…"

Mikasa felt her heart pick up, rush rush rushing in her chest. She'd seen the ad for it last time she'd hopped on their wifi, it looked good for a laugh at least (and the thought of heckling it with the unfairly tan boy beside her was too good to pass up).

"No, that sounds great!"


	3. Say goodnight and go

**because**: grabbers is definitely a flick worth netflixing imo

**notes**: today marks the beginning of the most surreal tech week of my life, I apologize if updates slow down till after the 30th.

* * *

By the time they'd emerged from the crowded warmth of the theatre pub, the drizzle had built to a veritable downpour. "Yeah, I don't know," Eren laughed, hands shoved deep in his pockets, "I still liked the part where she had to drive the bulldozer best." Mikasa couldn't fight the grin on her face as they stood at the doors, stalling their inevitable dash through the rain. "But really the scene in the cave was best," she replied, tucking a stray piece of hair back as she laughed. "I mean, the comedic one liners were great!" The boy beside her let out a sigh as he grinned, "yeah, that _was_ a pretty solid flick."

Mikasa's lips pulled into an even wider grin as she turned fully to look at him, all bright eyes and bronze skin... Only to have her face go a little slack as their eyes met (_the blood rushing in her ears began to sound more like a roar, echoing off rooftops and crimson stained walls_). "Definitely," her voice sounded soft, offhanded, even to her own ears. Outside, the rain increased again, distorting the streetlights in the almost dark. Eren was moving closer, brow knit as if working a problem as he studied her face. Mikasa felt her own feet moving closer too, drawn in by a tug in her gut and the race of her heart in her throat (_but this was all fast, too fast, and his scent was hanging in her nose like sharp wind and cinders_). Their toes were almost brushing when she inhaled sharply and broke the tension with a single glance at her phone, "well," the dark girl began breathily, "I've only got about thirty minutes till Sasha gets off work."

Eren blinked, viridian eyes flicking from her face to the time on her phone, before straightening and turning his stare outside with a crooked smile. "Yeah, and we need to get your car from taco king." Nodding, Mikasa made for the door (already pulling all of her layers close in anticipation of the downpour), before Eren cut her off, holding it open with a boyish grin. "Race you to the car?"

And that was how their friendship began: two full grown adults careening through a monsoon with laugher on their lips and love on the edges of their hearts.

Slamming soaked palms against the slick paint of Eren's car, Mikasa took a split second to catch her breathe before crowing "I win!" From the drivers' side, the brunet shot her a grin before slicking his soaked hair back, "only cause I had to dodge that lady and her kid!" Laughing, Mikasa followed suit and pulled her hair into a (completely waterlogged) ponytail before ducking into the car. "Okay sure," his scent permeated the air, enhanced by the rain on his skin and the chill of the car. "Whatever you say, Eren." Shaking his head like a dog, the green eyed boy beside her gave a grin as he turned the key. "It's true though, I'd have won otherwise!" (She knew he was right, but sure as hell wasn't going to show it.)

The drive to taco king was a quiet one; filled with shy smiles and the occasional brush of their shoulders as Mikasa shifted her weight to better bask in the warm air. Neither of them really cared though, not with the rain against the windshield and their almost-something earlier- it seemed most prudent to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Well thanks," The dark girl began as they pulled in beside her own car; reluctantly breaking the silence with the light timbre of her voice. "The movie really was a lot of fun." Eren's grin was nearly blinding and Mikasa couldn't help but wonder how she made it through the school year without talking to him sooner. "No problem," said grin turned sneaky as one hand darted out to curl around her phone, easily snatching it from where it sat against her leg. "I doubt Sasha and Jean will really let us fall out of contact," Mikasa laughed, the two were incorrigible, there was no way in hell- "but should they fall down on their duties," their fingers brushed when he handed her the phone, "there's my number."

Mikasa smiled all the way home (or at least all the way to Sasha's place of employment).

* * *

"Sooo," Sasha sang as she sat in the passenger seat of Mikasa's car, long brown hair dripping wet from her dash across the parking lot. "What did you do while I was at work?" Mikasa took a second to think, absently backing out of her spot in the cramped little lot. "Nothing really,"

"No Eren?" There was a (poorly disguised) tone of disbelief.

"No Eren." Mikasa wondered if she'd ever bothered to get better at fibbing (she couldn't remember, which probably meant-).

"Bullshit."

Yep.

Turning right onto the road, Mikasa sighed and relented. "Okay fine," the cadence of her voice accelerated with the car (and her nerves), "I went and caught _Grabbers_ at the theatre pub with Eren."

The resulting silence was nothing like the warm one that had filled her and Eren's drive to taco king. No, this one was electric, charged and ominous and- "You went on a _date!" _Sasha screeched, turning fully in her seat to stare at the girl behind the wheel. "Oh my fuck, I _knew _you smelled like cologne!" Mikasa fought the urge to just veer off into the ditch and end her torture right then.

"Tacos plus a movie totally equals a date," her friend was practically vibrating with excitement, "did you snog, was he good, his palms weren't sweaty were they, oh my god did he-"

"Sasha please," the drum of rain on the roof momentarily ceased as they drove beneath an overpass, "it wasn't like that, really." It wasn't the kind of fast paced electric that her friend thrived so entirely on. It was slower and warmer, a tingle in her fingers as opposed to a shock straight to her heart.

The brunette beside her looked at her skeptically, and Mikasa tried again. "It was more like…" She searched for an example, "more like you and Connie."

Sasha thought for a second and then nodded; she and the aforementioned man had spent the year between high school and college bordering on romance. Their friendship had run deep, and very much had held the potential to be something more, had Connie not moved away to pursue a career in the arts. Granted, she and Eren had only known each other for a day on a first name basis, and were nowhere near that level of familiarity yet- but it was a good example nonetheless.

"Whatever you say then," Sasha grinned, leaning back in her seat. Mikasa wasn't sure why the brunette looked like the cat that caught the canary, but it was easily the most unsettling thing she'd seen all day (and that _definitely_ included the same girl fitting almost an entire taco in her mouth earlier).

After that, her friend settled into an inordinately detailed recounting of her drive to work with Jean, grin almost too starry eyed, even for Sasha. "He was so funny, and his taste in music is so good!" A dramatic (and probably tongue in cheek) hand went to her chest. "He laughed at all of my jokes and had even better ones to shoot back!" Sharp brown eyes turned to Mikasa as they pulled into the parking garage, "D'you wanna hear one?"

"Not particularly." Sasha's jokes were generally disgusting or offensive (or both), so if Jean's joke had been delightful to her then it was definitely something Mikasa didn't need in her life (at least not now, when she was still riding the coattails of her afternoon).

Heedless, the bubbly girl continued, "what's the worst part of eating eight oysters out of your grandmother's-"

"_Sasha!"_

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

So how'd it go?

Did you grow a pair?

Or do I need to come over there and play puppeteer.

Because I'd much rather stay here and not put my pants back on.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

Jesus Jean, do you have you no faith in me?

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

Well no.

I mean, you did sit three desks away from her for an entire year and only managed to give her one anonymous cup of coffee (which, by the way, she totally takes black. Not all girly like you.) and maybe a few smiles.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

You're a dick.

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

I prefer to think of myself as a realist, thanks though.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

A real dick.

Anyways, we went to see that flick about the monsters you have to get shitfaced to survive and I gave her my number.

So thERE HA.

* * *

**To: **Dumbass

**From: **Horseface

Wow, nice one.

Ohhhh grabbers! Was it good?

And well done, I take back what I said about your balls.

* * *

**To: **Horseface

**From: **Dumbass

Why thank you.

Yeah it was solid, I think it only runs another day though.

* * *

Still grinning a little giddily, Eren tossed his phone onto the table and turned his attention back to the television. Today had gone a whole hell of a lot better than he'd thought it would, not only had he finally _talked_ to girl-three-desks-down, but they'd eaten lunch _and_ caught a movie together. And she was just as smart and engaging as he'd thought she'd be. Who the hell knew if things would get romantic (a part of him really hoped they would), but either way, she was someone he could see becoming a very integral part of his life, platonically or not.

Maybe tomorrow she'd text him, but for now Eren was content to watch TV and wait for Armin to get home so he could brag.

(He would shit _bricks _when he found out!)


End file.
